Improving Education for All Nevadans
Education has always been at the heart of achievement in America, and there is no better investment for our nation's future than providing our children with a good education. As parents, teachers, administrators, and lawmakers, it is our job to give every child a proper foundation for learning and make sure our schools can prepare them for future success.  I have had the opportunity to meet with all seventeen of our state’s school superintendents several times, our higher education leaders, parents, teachers, and students throughout the state about improving education in Nevada and I will continue to work to ensure that all students receive a quality education.

Supporting Nevada's Public Schools and Colleges and Universities
A well-educated and prepared workforce is key to rebuilding our economy. That is why I was strongly supportive of passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which will provide $400 million in flexible funding for Nevada’s schools, colleges, and universities to help prevent teacher layoffs, reduced services, or increased tuition.

Preparing Nevada’s Students for the Global Economy
We must ensure that Nevada and the nation's students and teachers are prepared to continue leading the world in innovation, research, and technology—well into the future.  Towards this end, during the 110th Congress I helped lead passage of the America COMPETES Act, to improve math and science education and increase the federal commitment to research. In addition, the ARRA included significant funding for scientific research and technology and will help expand access to broadband. These investments will help ensure that students have the skills they need to be ready for higher education and the workforce.

Keeping the Door to College Open
As a college degree becomes more important for success, the high cost has put higher education out of reach for too many, and strained the budgets of students and their families. Making college more affordable and accessible for Nevada’s students has been one my top legislative priorities. Last session, Congress passed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which provided more than $20 billion in new student aid and benefits—the largest increase in student aid since the G.I. Bill. This legislation also expanded loan forgiveness options, cut student loan interest rates, provided a significant increase to the Pell Grant, and included a new program to make loan payments income-contingent. .
 
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act also increased the maximum Pell Grant by $500, from $4,850 to $5,350 for the 2009-10 school year, and created the American Opportunity Credit, a $2,500 new, partially-refundable tax credit for higher education expenses. In these challenging economic times, it is particularly important to assist Nevada students and families with the cost of college.

A New Direction for No Child Left Behind
It is clear that significant changes need to be made to the No Child Left Behind Act. It has been vastly underfunded, accountability measures have proven far too punitive, and states have been given little flexibility in implementing the law’s requirements. It has caused good schools to be labeled as failing and puts undue pressure on students and teachers to focus on passing standardized tests instead of engaging in other subjects such as the sciences, history, art, or music.

As Congress looks to reauthorize the law this session, we need to ensure that a reauthorization builds on the positive aspects of the law, addresses the concerns about its implementation, and provides the solutions schools need to ensure that every student succeeds. I am committed to working with the Obama Administration to make this law work for Nevada’s schools, teachers, administrators, parents, and most of all, its students.

Improving and Innovating our Middle and High Schools
In our increasingly global economy, a high school diploma has become the minimum qualification necessary to secure a good job, but far too many students are falling off the path to prosperity. Nevada has one of the highest dropout rates of any state with less than 70 percent of high school students graduating on time.  For African American and Latino students, that number is closer to 50 percent.  Nearly 20,000 students in Nevada who started school with the in the class of 2008 did not graduate with their peers.

To address these issues, I recently introduced the Secondary Schools Innovation Fund, which will provide $500 million in grants each year to develop innovative approaches to improving student achievement and modernizing our middle and high schools. This legislation was developed after meetings with Nevada’s educators and school leaders to discuss the problems facing our schools. Among the challenges identified were high dropout rates, curriculum that often lacks relevance to students’ lives, large and impersonal high schools, and a shortage of guidance counselors.

Expanding Access to Quality Early Childhood Education
High-quality early childhood education is one of the best investments our country can make. The Congress recently passed the Head Start for School Readiness Act, to improve and expand the Head Start program, one of the hallmarks of our country’s efforts to provide low-income young Americans with a quality education and the opportunity to succeed. 

The legislation strengthened teacher training, improved quality, and increased accountability for all programs. Most importantly, the legislation expanded income-eligibility limits to allow thousands more children to take advantage of this vital program. In Nevada alone, nearly 10,000 three- and four-year-olds are eligible for Head Start programs. But, only about one quarter of those eligible are able to participate. This legislation helps open the doors to Head Start to tens of thousands of children in Nevada and across America. To build on these improvements, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act also included a significant investment for the Head Start and Early Head Start program.

Attracting High Quality Teachers
Our children deserve great teachers in every classroom. As the fastest-growing state in the nation, Nevada has a tremendous need for additional qualified teachers. To address persistent shortages, I worked to bring Teach for America, a nonprofit group committed to educational equality, and the Clark County School District together. I am pleased to say that, as a result, several hundred teachers are now teaching in Clark County schools.

I am also pleased that the College Cost Reduction and Access Act expanded loan forgiveness programs for graduates who spend 10 years in a public service profession, including teaching.  One of the reasons many college graduates do not enter the teaching profession is because of high student loan debt.  This legislation also established TEACH grants, which provide grants of $4,000 per year for undergraduate students who commit to teaching in high-need school districts.

Additionally, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included over $100 million in for the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants to help promote high-quality and effective teacher preparation programs for new and prospective teachers.  These funds will assist Nevada in modernizing the teaching workforce, addressing teacher shortages, and providing new routes to teaching for jobless individuals seeking to enter the teaching field. 

Fulfilling Our Promise to Students with Disabilities
Improving educational results for children with disabilities is another priority for me. Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Improvement Act in the 108th Congress, which called for the federal government to honor its commitment to the states by providing 40 percent of the funding towards the cost of special education. I was also pleased that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  provided $73 million--the highest ever level of federal funding for special education services--to help school districts meet the costs of educating students with disabilities.

Providing Safe, Reliable Transportation for Rural School Children
Many rural school districts do not have safe and reliable school buses. Moreover, they lack the resources to buy new buses or retrofit the ones they have. This leaves children no choice but to ride in outdated, unsafe buses. I was pleased to help bring federal funds in the form of grants and low-interest loans to Nevada to retrofit and replace outdated school buses across the state. And I will continue to work to create a federal program for rural districts to purchase new buses so that they can retire these older buses.

Providing Healthy Food for School Children
I believe that nutrition is critical to the success of all children in school. That’s why I was pleased to secure over $1 million in the 2008 Farm Bill to expand the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, an increase of nearly 50% over last year. Nevada schools will receive funding to bring healthy foods into classrooms, along with nutrition education and awareness about the importance of eating healthy. The program has been operating as a pilot program serving 14 states since 2002, and is very popular among kids and parents, as well as school and food service staff.

An additional grant of approximately $679,000 was included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the Child Nutrition School Equipment Grants Program. This will provide the essential funding to schools for making improvements to school kitchens in order to handle and process healthy foods. The fund will be distributed by the Nevada Department of Education through a competitive grants process. Whether in the home or the classroom, it is important to provide an environment in which children can make good food choices. These funds will help schools all over the country offer high quality meals, and give our country’s children the fuel they need to succeed in school.